Help Your Curls Survive Humidity: Top Tips for Beautiful Curls in Humid Climates

If you live in - or are traveling to - a humid environment, you may already be wondering how to avoid fuzzy curls. 

Check out our tips for keeping humidity at bay and ensuring beautiful curls all summer long.

1. Use products designed to fight humidity. This is the #1 tip! Products formulated with humidity protection first and foremost are often very good at their job. Don't be put off if a product includes glycerin - an ingredient that often gets a bad reputation for causing frizz in humid climates - because what's most important is the overall formulation of the product. Glycerin is a great moisturizer, and it may be in there for a reason!
   
   
   
   On my (Sam's) recent trip to Vancouver Island, which has areas that are considered rainforest with an average of 77% humidity, I used only one product: the Tootilab All Weather Styling Gel. I applied it soaking wet, plopped with the MoonstoneSeven Hair Plop while I finished getting ready, and then diffused my hair until it was completely dry before leaving our hotel. Despite not giving me a hard, crunchy cast, this held my curls all day. After hours walking on the windy beach and around town in Tofino, my curls still looked the same! I was expecting to look like Monica from Friends on vacation (remember that episode when her hair was so big and frizzy?). I was pleasantly surprised by how simple I could keep my routine and still lock that humidity out! I'd highly recommend the Tootilab All Weather Styling Gel if you're looking for touchable humidity protection.
   
   For times when I wanted it to last 2+ days (not always necessary on vacation as you're in and out of the pool or doing outdoor activities and getting hot and sweaty, washing more frequently than usual) I paired it with the Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Flexible Holding Spray.
   
   
2. Make sure your hair is completely dry before leaving the house and/or your hotel room if you're on vacation. If your hair is still wet, the barrier that these anti-humidity products form is not complete yet. I took the Satin Diffuser Cap with me to Mexico a few years ago and it was a game-changer for travelling and for ensuring my hair was 100% dry before heading out to dinner, while leaving my hands free to put on makeup or read a book.
   
   
   
3. Consider swim or beach/sun protection.  Salt water, chlorine, and heat can dry your hair out, making it appear more frizzy (among other things) in any environment. Check out our blog post about chlorine and your curls here and consider throwing the Malibu C Swimmers Wellness Treatments or Swimmers Wellness Shampoo in your suitcase.
   
   
4. Not all humidity frizz is from moisture in the air. It can also be from sweat on your scalp! Ensure your scalp is staying dry and clean if you're doing lots of outdoor activities or sweating a lot. You can use a dry shampoo or a product like Root Refresh from Boucleme for helping blot up the sweat.
   
   
5. If you're used to using light-hold products, switch to harder hold stylers in humid environments. These products wrap each strand of hair, effectively holding moisture in and blocking humidity out. For really effective humidity protection, you'll probably want a strong cast that'll need scrunching out. I didn't find that was necessary with the All Weather Styling Gel I used on my recent trip to Vancouver Island, but for other gels like the Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel from Ouidad, the fully-hardened cast is part of what helps it work to keep frizz from forming.
   
   
6. When in doubt, understand that it is just hair. If you're out there experiencing great things and having a lot of fun, put your curls in a ponytail and enjoy! 😊